Rubber shackle



Patentes Aug. 4, i931 unirse STATES PATENT OFFICE HARVEY ID. GEYER, FDAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T `THE INLAND MANUFACTURING- CMPANY, OF DAYTQN,GHIO,YA CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RUBBER emicrania Application filedNovember 3, 1926. Serial No. 146,64@

rlhis invention. relates to flexible rubber and fabric connectorsadaptedffor use as sul stitutes for spring shackles, torque armconnections and the like.

y, lts object is to provide a. simple and etlicient form of rubber andfabric connecl tion which can be produced at low cost..

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the 1.3 following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of thepresent invention is clearly shown.

ln the drawings: l,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on line 1e-1 of Fig. 2 and illustrates ashackle built according to this invention connecting the rear end of thesemi-elliptic front springof an automobile chassis to the side` rail ofthe chassis 2d frame. A

Fig. 2 is an end view of the shackle taken on line 2-2 of Fig, 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the' severalviews.

chassis frame and 11 the projecting end of the long leaf of the leafspring 12. The molded rubber and fabric unit which is fixed to parts 1()and 11 is indicated in its entirety by numeral l5. This molded unit 15comprises an elastic rubber, block l of greater length than width andhaving bulging lateral sides and substantially flat top and bottomsurfaces. Rubberized cord fabric is wrapped laterally around block 16 toform an endless flexible fabric casing 17 thereforbut leaving the ends18 of the rubber block 16 uncontined. The substantially non-extensiblecords of the fabric casing 17 extend peripherally around block 1G in thedirection in which the fabric is wrapped therearound. The molded inmetal inserts 2() are put in position aft-er the several inner layers 21of the cord fabric have been wrapped on, and then the outer layers 22 ofcord fabric are'wrapped on extending around the outside of the inserts20. as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The inserts have outwardlyprojccting slightly tapered bosses 23 and 2l, the bosses 23 projectingbeyond the outersurface Numeral 10 designates the side rail'of theof thecord fabric casing 17 while the tip of bosses 2st lies substantiallyflush with said outer surfacewhen in final position (see Fig. 1). Thisunit l5, made as above described, is

vulcanized in a'suitable mold to the desired i degree of hardness andflexibility. The elastic. rubber bloclr 16 when removed from the moldshould be of suicient hardness to withstand lthe compression loadimposed thereupon without excessive bulging out at the unconiined endsthereof, while the rubberized cord fabric casing 17 should be veryflexible at the bulging lateral sides 25 andL may be cured quite hardand non-flexible at' the .portions 26 vwhich are clamped between themetal inserts 2O and the partslO and 11.

Now this molded unit 15 may be readily ,l

secured to part'll by Iextending the 'vta ered end of boss 23 into thecorresponding y ta'- pered holeY 30 `in the spring lea-f 11, and thengby the elastic rubber block 16 which is'due to the Weight of theautomobile body causes the rubberblock to bulge out laterally againstthefportions of the fabric casi-ng lfohus putting these portionsundertension.

over since these portions 25 are substantially non-extensibleunder suchtension the lateral bulging of the block 16 will be limited thereby. Theblock 16 is free to bulge out at its uncon lined ends, however thevertical area of these ends is'small compared to the horizontalsectional area of the elastic rubber block and since the elastic rubberis firmly bonded tothe fabric casing this end bulging will not beexcessive if the rubber block is cured to the proper degree of hardness.l

The desired to and fro movement of the end 11 of the semi-ellipticspring 12 is ermitted by apeculiar distortion of the rub er block 1G andthe laterally bulging portions 25 of the fabric casing 17 without anyexcessive stress on the fabric casing. This peculiar distorlf2 (ilA aonis not easily described. If @heiem walls 25 of the fabric casing were 1nvertical planes, rather than bulging out as clearly Ashown in Fig. 2,such to and fro movement of the spring end 11 could not be had withoutvery great shearing strees on the fabrlc casi ing. The outward bulgingof the lateralwalls 25 permits the fabric casin to follow this to andfro movement of spring end 11 without excessive shearing stressthereupon by giving the elastic rubber block 16 a sort of skeweddistortion as the spring end 11 moves in either direction from itsnormal centercl position.

lVhile the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be ado ted, all com1ng within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

lVhat is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination with a leaf spring and frame of a vehicle, a shackleinterposed between said spring and frame and comprising: an elasticrubber block extending longitudinally with said sprinI and having ailexible web of rubberized fa ric wrapped about the lateral sidesthereof and molded thereto, and means for clamping'the lower portion ofsaid flexible web to said spring and other means for clamping the upperportion of said web to said frame.

2. A compression shackle for connectin a leaf spring to a membersupported there comprising: an elastic rubber block, a fiexib erubberized fabric web molded to the lateral sides of said block leavingthe ends of said block unconlined, and means for fixing the lowerportion of the rubber and fabric unit to said leaf spring,'and othermeans for fix-v ing the upper portion of said unit to said member. f

3. In combination, a compression shackle for flexibly connecting tworelatively movable members comprising, an elongated block V of elasticrubber having a fiexible non-stretchable fabric casing over the bulginglateral walls thereof and having its end walls unconfined, said blocksbeing secured between said two members connected thereby with its longaxis extending in the direction of relative motion between said members.A

4. A flexible connector, comprising a molded body of elasticmaterialreinforced by a substantially non-extensible fabric casingmolded therein, said connector having two diametrically opposed metalinserts embed dedbetwcen the laminee of said fabric casing and eachhaving means for clamping they portion of the fabric casing exteriorthereto to one of the parts/to be connected by said connector.

5. A flexible connector, comprising a molded body of elastic materialreinforced by a substantially non-extensible fabric casing moldedthereimsaid connector having two div attachment thereto of the parts tobe connected by said connector. p

Intestimony whereof I hereto aiiix my signature. i

HARVEY D.- GEYER.

